The glorious Purple Saxifrage (Film)

Friday 28th march 2014
                         I mentioned in my post nearly 2 weeks ago that I'd made a short video covering our annual visit to Pen-y-ghent  for the purple Saxifrage. I've just finished it this evening so I hope it portrays the enjoyment and satisfaction it gives us on our annual walk in this lovely area.

On a clear day

Tues. 25th March 2014
                    We're still out and about but because my posts repeat the same theme year after year it's difficult to put a new angle on the same locations. Yesterday was frosty early with a wonderful clear sky so we walked over Pendle Hill yet again hoping for exceptional visibility, it was OK but not as good as expected. I tried a few different camera angles and hazy distant shots to explain the views from our local hill because many people are not aware of what can be seen from the top of Pendle at 1831 ft.

                        The familiar profile from our side of the hill

The slog up the stepped Path (a route I dislike) takes about 35 minutes from the road end to the top

The view from the wall at the top of the path looking up the Ribble Valley towards Ribblehead

North East with Great Whernside in the distance in upper Wharfedale and some of the lower fells still dusted with an overnight snow shower

In the distant centre of the photo, Pen-y-ghent, the location of the Purple Saxifrage it's the mountain we visit each year in March or early April to photograph this special flower

      The path along the eastern side of Pendle which overlooks our area

         The view to the towns of Nelson & Colne the area where we live

                                         The Trig Point

To the west the sea and Blackpool Tower can just be seen on the horizon above the lower slopes of Longridge Fell

Looking more to the northwest the original wide valley of the  River Hodder (it changed coarse at the end of the last Iceage) to the left Longridge Fell in the centre Beacon Fell and to the right Parlick Hill and Fairsnape Fell in the Bowland fells

In the distance towards the northwest above the Bowland Fells the snow covered  Eastern Lakeland Fells around the Helvellyn area a distance of around 50 miles or more

Descending off Pendle Hill on the northside on a little used path towards Downham

We then turned north east along the lower slopes of the hill overlooking the Ribble Valley

In the centre .......Ingleborough with the more distant Whernside to the right

   Climbing down off the ladder stile and back to the big end of Pendle Hill

Another less familiar view of the big end of Pendle with the dry stone wall running up to and then across the top

Our summary
A bracing walk in a cool S.E.wind but an enjoyable one with the call of the Curlew and aerial songflight of the Skylark on the wind all day.

The glorious Purple Saxifrage

Thursday 13th March 2014
          What a difference our British weather can be from one year to the next. This year has been the mildest winter that I've recorded in my diaries for the last 40 years, we've just had one night with 1 inch of lying snow and that melted the following morning but it has been very wet at times.
            On Tuesday we made our annual walk up Pen-y-Ghent to find the Purple Saxifrage under glorious clear skies and unbroken sunshine. I like to compare the seasons and last year exactly to the day we had blizzard conditions up here in N.W.England. With the winter being so mild the season is well advanced compared to last year and the Purple Saxifrage wasn't in full flower last until mid- April.
      This Arctic-Alpine flower stands out in the almost colourless environment on Pen-y Ghent so early in the year and I never tire of seeing this little gem.
   I also made a short H.D. video of the walk which I will upload after the editing.

    On route up to Pen-y-Ghent from Horton in Ribblesdale  about a 6-7 miles  round trip over the summit of the mountain with an ascent of about 1500 ft.

The view looking towards the Lake District with Scafell and Scafell Pike in the centre of the range

The first sight of the flower growing on the Limestone Crags on the 1800 ft contour

The lower limestone rocky band is where this little gem of a flower survives

At their best

Friday 7th March 2014
             The snowdrops have put on a great display this year with snowdrops out everywhere. We came across this wonderful display at Linton up in Wharfedale in a private garden on Monday this week on a walk with our friends.

Pendle Hill along the Periphery

Friday 28th Feb 2014

                     Another walk over our local Pendle Hill on a lovely springlike day once the clouds started to disperse. This time we approached the top from what I call the back of Pendle ..... the Nick of Pendle. Starting from the Nick you have a height advantage but the distance from the summit is further. We've walked Pendle Hill more times than I care to remember but the periphery walk opens up views that we're less familiar with.

     The western side of Ogden Clough with the summit in the distance

                        The more familiar view towards Barley

                                    Along the Eastern side

     The Northern periphery with views over Clitheroe and Longridge Fell

                               Approaching the Refuge Shelter

                                          The Scout Cain

Clitheroe Cement Works, we could taste and smell the smoke as it drifted across the tops

Paragliding on the late afternoon thermals

Longridge Fell and Beacon Fell in the distance

The ground has sunk over the years leaving this wall dissecting this pond

The view looking up Ribblesdale with Ingleborough in the distance

The calls of the Curlew and the song flight of the Sky Lark all added to the walk of around 7 miles, a most enjoyable early spring day.